Abstract:Ignis fatuus, a luminous phenomenon witnessed over the centuries by observers around the world, is no longer seen in modern times, suggesting that it is extinct. An explanation for this disappearance can be found in the description of ignis fatuus as a cool flame of methane. Unlike a conventional flame, which generates large amounts of heat, ignis fatuus is a flame that glows without heat through a chemiluminescence process. Its characteristic bluish color is due to the emission of excited formaldehyde, which … Show more
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